The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1887-04-14
Ms DEACON cLAPP. SECOND.


.Lsf You doni ssy 30. Mis- poiiei
How snidenl"
"fi's nai'rel. We're al coming 10 u
I'm hev mite OF bacon and adozen eggs,
"Hov De do. Minndy Heard Mis-
Clapp's ben takenf'
Massey want TO knosf Poor man
how be must feell' and Miss Mirsd'
Brown heaved = sympathetic sigh.
I'm 90 worried about the children
poor dears, said the little storekeeper
"Fred. you let nae catch your hand 10 ,b'
sugar sgain! As vas ssayin'. there u
tbfee on en-. and old Nance Baker can
get through The work. let alone ="
Dear me- when / ought to have been
Christian enough to have offered my helr
before, and Miss Miranda turned hasiily
aud tripped out,
"Did you ever, ain's that girl iorridf''
ejsculsted Widow Siocum.
| "tiirlf" inserrogated Mrs Potter. "Isnd
sakel Why, Mirandy Browns forty years
old
"Well. said Mrs. Slocum, deftly cuff
ing her eldest hope with one hand, while
with the other she selected the largest
eggs for ber customer. .'Mirandy needn't
dream she'll ever be Miss Deacon Clapp,
second, Tor il the deacon marries, 'tain't
Mirsndy he'll ask,
"Du tell? Who do you SUPPOSE
Land, SARAH Tsin't proper to be
talkin' so, an MIS- Clapp Jest departed. Z
Certainly not" said Sarah, eying with
latent suspicion Mrs. Slocum's careful
make up.
"They do say there's the most elegant
furniture, just up from Boston, and she
had TO leave it. Dear me, it brings poor
Potter right into my mind, !" and she hnr-
ried away. muttering "She knows who
he'd marry! VOW Thinks its her "
Many we're the caresses bestowed on the
motherless Clspps, and many sympa-
thetic glance met the deacon's. Deaf, old
Nancy Baker couldn't long preside over
his household. argued female Birneyville,
aud be must think of the poor, dear chill
dren. But second year followed like the
first, and Mis- Deacon Clapp, second, was
not.
Like many New England farmers, Dea
con Clapp possessed a superior education
aud, bis ample means permitting, spent
many hours in bis library. He was stand
ing there one morning. when Josephine
opened the door
Papa, have you forgotten that school
begins today, and we've been waiting for
you ever 80 long.
The deacon rose at once. 80 it does,
grille, and there's teacher TO be intro
duced, too, for he was committee man.
The boys ran ahead but Joe walked by
the side Of her father. her hand clasped
in his
What would you ever do without me,
papa, you forget things so?"
He smiled, but sharp pain darted
through his heart, and his clasp frightened
convulsively. His love for Joe with her
mothers fragile beauty, was almost idola-
try.
Reaching the school, he made the us
ual speech, then be turned to the teacher;
be knew she was q graduate Of Holyoke,
highly qualified, experienced, etc, and
came to meet somewhat dictatorial per-
son whose vocation could be told at
glance. He saw pale, dark haired, dark
eyed woman OF thirty, with the quiet
refinement that marks the true lady, and
q resolute gentleness OF manner, peculiarly
charming.
The deacon walked slowly home, think
ing it odd that he was so stirred by the
sight OF new face. As be passed Mrs.
Potter's house, she called from the door:
won't you please step IMP" and walked
into the psrlor, the deacon. perforce, fol-
loving.
sit right down, deacon; my parlor
amt tIicked out as some folkses, but II /
do say it, IT'S clean. and she whisked out
an invading fly before he could buzz tin
gle note OF triumph.
Decidedly neat" said the deacon,
looking at the portrait OF the departed
Potter over the mantel. and the pictured
eyes stared back with something OF warn
log 10 their faded depths.
well, said the widow, rocking herself
violently. "Helen Mebitable Slocum told
me that Mis- Jim Graves told her ma that
Nance Baker told her that you was goin
to fnrrin parts for the winter, and wanted
some one to live in the honse aud take
care on II.
II am going to New York for the win
ter"
'fWell, she continued. Il know the
Bible says we hadn't ofter speak i'll Of
apy body, but am certain there is cases
wbere il is our bounden duty not to keep
still, aud ] always live up TO my light.
Helen Mehitsble aud her ma bad some
notion Of speaking, as the store don't pay.
Land How could itf Such sLif,less
creature as Mis- Slocnm is Now me and
Miss Clspp always set store by each
other. and know just how she'd feel 10
have passed. Of dirty Slocums trsipsine
over her carpets
The deacon WINGED.
Besides should be willing 10 do it
mysell know poor. dear Maria'd be
glad 10 have me there.
The deacon rose sbrupily. Nothing
xould sni, me better. Tomorrow We will
settle the terms
Dear me. sighed the widow, accom-
paying him 10 the door, ''hos you must
miss your partner Aud the poor chill